SPAIN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 2, 2 January 1875, Page 4

SPAIN.

Writing upon the troublous times upon which poor Spain has fallen, an English contemporary draws tbe following mournful but too true picture of the fallen condition of that country. Says the writer : — " Spain's desolation is complete, her beauty gone, her ugliness positively repulsive ; and the once fair land is now turned hither into a mournful desert; thither into a howling wilderness, actually terrifying the astonished traveller. The land that should afford sustenance to sixty millions of people barely supports sixteen. Spain's maritime position is magnificent. Her shor.es are washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, intercepting the line of travel and trade between the Orient and the Occident, between America and Europe ; yet commerce sweeps past her ports without an effort on her part to attract it to her marts or share in its golden prizes. The imports and exports of Cadiz and Barcelona are so infinitessiraally small as scarely to find a separate mention in statistical returns. The products of Spain might freight whole navies and stock innumerable markets, yet bar inhabitants will not work. Strange sight to see a people not knowing whence to-morrow's bread is to come, wrapping their cloaks around them with dignified ease, and with the utmost concern lying down to their siesta. Here are some results of this callous indifference: — The census of 1860 gives but two millions of people whocouldread and write. Her revenue, which has remained stationary at £27,000,000 from 1866 to 1871, has been swamped by an expenditure growing in that period from £27,000,000 to £32,000,000. Her debt, swollen to over £260,000,000, has embarrasesd her financiers to the pitch of incapacitating her Government from paying tbe interest due on that vast sum; and Spain has seen herself incurring the disgrace of being ruled out of the money market of Europe from 1851 to 1872. The demoralisation of tbe Spaniards is complete. Their towns are full of idlers. Every place swarms with beggars. Badly housed, clothed, and fed, they are willing and ready instruments in the bands of unscrupulous and seditious leaders. A blight rests on Spain. Both land and inhabitants are verging towards the last stage of nautical decay. Every effort of the dominant power to arrest this atrophy has only increased it. Through some malign influence the noble qualities of this people have been turned to fiery passions or to deadly apathy. Seeming blessings are here veritable curses. This deplorable condition of the Iberian Peninsula is a deep disgrace to the nineteenth century and a standing menace to Europe. Those should he considered its public enemies, dangerous to the best interests of society, who, to further fheir own selfish ends, take advantage of the gross ignorance of this people to fan their passions into open insurrection and civil war. It is time that international law took cognisance of worthless adventurers, who, regardless of suffering and bloodshed, press their claims to tbe exploded ' divine right of Kings ' at the point of the bayonet and torch in hand. The brotherhood of nations loudly demands their outlawry."